Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are used in a variety of applications such as air and space vehicles, watercraft vehicles, and guided missiles. IMUs detect the rate of acceleration and change in rotational attributes about three axes for a given time period. This data is used by a control system in order to track the application's position using a method known as dead reckoning. In one such application, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are used to guide large caliber projectiles. During the launch of such a projectile, the IMU is subjected to high accelerations and thus requires ability to absorb this energy without incurring damage to the sensitive electronic components of which it is comprised. Current shock isolation systems for these applications include a rubber isolator for mounting the inertial sensing assembly (ISA), which is comprised of accelerometers and gyroscopes, within the IMU housing and a shock ring applied to the ISAs circuit board to absorb energy when it bottoms out during gun launch. Examples of such shock isolation systems are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,324, herein incorporated by reference. The problem with such current systems is that the shock ring still allows significant distortion of the ISAs circuit board due to bowing at the center of the board. Such bowing can damage the ISAs circuit board.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification there is a need in the art for improved IMU shock isolation systems and methods.